Wheel polishing rotary stand

ABSTRACT

A device for polishing wheels of truck or cars without removing the valve or the tire of the wheel. The device comprises three parts: a rotative assembly fixed to a stand subject to an angular movement and housed upon a pendulum in extension. The rotative assembly includes a motor connected to a primary speed reducer 10:1 linked to a second speed reducer 60:1 fixed to a jaw turning at an average speed of 3 rpm, on which a wheel is positioned. The device is auto lubricating when a relative orientation of one reducer with respect to the other at 15° allows to maintain oil level in a critical reducer to prevent friction of mobile part inside the critical reducer. The pendulum possesses a pair of wheels to permit the displacement of the assembly on the ground while an actuator located on the pendulum causes the angular movement of the stand.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device for cleaning and polishing wheels of trucks or cars. The device turns a wheel slowly enough to permit its manual polishing without removing the valve and tire of the wheel.

PRIOR ART

The present invention refers to a provisional application by the same inventor <<Wheel stand>> U.S. 61/213,298 filed on May 27, 2009.

Our research among patents revealed some assemblies that caught our attention:

U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,377<<Assembly for cleaning drums>> Assembly which positions drums of wheels at 45° to clean them.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,728,236<<Wheel spinning machine>> provides a friction drum and a solenoid to provide mechanical contact with a wheel.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,957,999<<Vehicle wheel rim polisher>> Used for large quantities of wheels. A polishing head is moving around a surface of a wheel.

OBJECTIVES AND ADVANTAGES

There is a need in the market and more precisely for small garages for an assembly which provides cleaning and manual polishing of a wheel without removing the valve or the tire of the wheel. The assembly is used for one wheel at a time and can be driven very easily from one place to another by means of its adjustable wheels, thus allowing the user to work close to the vehicle being polished, and it will also make the repair and welding operations more manageable. This assembly is designed to simplify the standing and polishing of alloy wheels of all dimensions.

The polishing is done first by positionning a wheel on a jaw fixed on a stand tilted at approximately 20°, the stand is sitting on a pendulum which maintains in balance on the ground the whole assembly. The jaw will fit any truck wheel (or car wheel). His diameter helps position the wheel in a secure and efortless manner. Its extensive adaptability also allows the user to work at the right height. Then the wheel is turned while an operator uses a tool to polish metallic parts of the wheel.

The rotation speed is produced by a bidirectional rotary DC motor and two speed reducers, one of 10:1 and another of 60:1. The DC motor is turning at 1750 rpm; there is a first reducer of 10:1 which reduces the speed to 180 rpm and the second reducer of about 60:1 which reduces the speed to approximately 3 rpm. Then a portable grindstone can touch all the harshness of the metallic parts of the wheel. A variable speed control box is used to choose a convenient speed of wheel rotation between 1 to 10 rpm.

If reducers were to be tilted to about 15°, it would result in lack of oil and the premature wear of the gearings of the reducers. It is thus necessary to preinstall a critical reducer at −15° in order to keep oil level after the ideal position of the polishing is established. The critical reducer is the smaller one connected directly to the motor; the other is bigger and its moving parts are always burried in oil and therefore not as critical. With its bidirectional rotary motor and its variable speed control box, this invention will produce a professional and prime quality polish appearance. The assembly comes with a solid portable aluminum storage box to store the polishing and sanding appliances and products.

The present invention will be further understood from the following description with reference to the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan of a rotative assembly.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan of a support for the assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective of a stand with angular movement.

FIG. 4 is a perspective of a pendulum in extension.

FIG. 5 is a face view of a coupling disk.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the following description and in the accompanying drawings, the numeral numbers refer to identical parts in the various Figures.

FIG. 1 shows a rotative assembly 20 intended to be fixed on a stand. There is more particularly a support plate 24 which serves as support for two linked boxes of reducers. A gearing reducer 60:1 26 supports a chuck with three jaws 36. A drive-shaft 28 is for adjusting and sliding the chuck.

A primary reducer 10:1 30 has a superior face 32. The gearing reducer 26 has a top face 33. There is an angle 34 between both faces, which can typically vary between 5 and 35 degrees. The chuck is having iron jaw 36 with three bits to hold the heart of the wheel. The bits may be extended for catching european alloy wheels. An extension 38 of the drive-shaft 28 holds the jaw at a certain distance to permit the polishing of the outside of a wheel.

A coupling plate 44 maintains respectively the orientation of the two top faces 32 and 33 at a predetermined angle 34. The favorite choice is −15 degrees. One can see a motor 46 driving the primary reducer 30 and at the opposite side one sees a wheel 48 in position to be polished.

FIG. 2 shows the rotative assembly 20 mounted on a stand 22 of angular movement mounted on an pendulum 23 in extension. A linear actuator 42 is fixed between the stand and the pendulum allowing the angular movement of the stand and the vertical movement of the coupling plate 44. On a counterweight 40 at one end of the pendulum, a handle for driving the whole assembly is welded. A pair of large wheels 70 and of small wheels 69 which are extensionable are part of stand 22. A motor 46 is topped by a converter 47 which produces the DC current for speed control and is connected to the primary reducer 30; the second reducer 26 is connected to the jaw 36 which is to receive a wheel to be polished.

FIG. 3 shows the stand 22 comprising two horizontal legs 60 and 60′ linked by the horizontal counterweight 40 which has hinges 71, 71′ and large wheels 70 at one end and a folded knee 62 at the other end, the folded knee continuing vertically into a top part for supporting the plate 24 of the rotative assembly. The stand comprises oblique reinforcements 63, 63′, an arch 65 and a V-shaped support 61 positioned horizontally on the legs 60, 60′ and in a forward direction. The V-shaped support is opened at the ends 67 and shows in extension an insert 68 with a small extensionable wheel 69. One can see on the arch 65 a tip 66 to fix a linear actuator thereto.

FIG. 4 shows a pendulum 23 having a T-shape with a crossbar 72, two parallel longitudinal bars 74 and 74′, an internal longitudinal bar 73 including in its middle a support point 75 to fix the linear actuator 42 (FIG. 2). Each longitudinal bar comprises a fold 76 at an angle of 5 degrees approximately and which allows a flat resting against the ground, continous up to the fold, starting from an extension 77, and while the large wheels 70 (FIG. 2) are touching the ground. Rod ends 78 allow the pivoting of the stand 22 about the pendulum 23.

FIG. 5 shows a coupling plate 44 of a typical exterior diameter 80, like 6½ inches, and a typical interior diameter 82, like 1¾ inches; the coupling plate is placed between the primary reducer 10:1 30 and the gear reducer 60:1 26. The primary reducer 10:1 is linked by a first group of bolts 88 whereas the reducer 60:1 is linked by a second group of bolts 86, 86′ and 86″. The first and the second groups of bolts are positioned relative one to the other by the angle 34. The distance between the bolts of the primary reducer is noted 92 and that between the bolts of the gear reducer is noted 90. There are only three bolts of the reducer 60:1, which leaves a cut part 84 in the coupling plate 44 to limit the interference of the coupling plate over the support plate 24. An axial center 94 of both reducers coincides with an axial center of the coupling plate. When the reducers are moved by the angle 34 one respective to the other, that allows to position the primary reducer 10:1 level and the oil inside continues to bathe the mobile parts and so reduces the friction during the rotating operation of polishing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An assembly used to polish and clean wheels of truck or car comprising three parts: a rotative assembly 20 comprising a support plate 24. A stand 22 fixed on a pendulum 23 and supporting the support plate 24 and giving it an angular movement. The rotative assembly comprises an electric motor of 1750-1800 rpm; this motor is linked to a primary reducer 10:1 which reduces the speed to 180 rpm; the primary reducer is linked to a second reducer 60:1 which reduces the speed to 3 rpm. The second reducer turns a jaw on which a wheel will be positionned. Between the two reducers a coupling plate is placed which positions the reducers at ±15° one against the other for maintaining oil inside the primary reducer at a sufficient level for lubricating the internal parts. If the primary reducer were tilted at 15°, it would cause a lack of oil and the premature wear of the primary reducer. So the necessity of installing a coupling plate between both reducers helps the more critical reducer maintain oil level after the ideal position of a polishing stand has been established by an operator.

At rest, the jaw is at 5° to facilitate the installation of a wheel. On work an operator will action a control box 47 which activates the actuator 42 so that the jaw be at a desired height, comfortable for the operator to use a portable angle grinder or buffer or sander polisher on the metallic parts of the wheel without hurting his back.

It is to be clearly understood that the instant description with reference to the annexed drawing is made in an indicative manner and that the preferred embodiments described herein are meant in no way to limit further embodiments realizable within the scope of the invention. The matter which is claimed as being inventive and new is limited only by the following claims.

PARTS

-   20 Rotative assembly 65 Arch -   22 Stand 66 Tip -   23 Pendulum in extension 67 Opened ends of the 61 -   24 Support plate 68 Insert -   26 Gear reducer 60:1 69, 69′ Small wheels -   28 Drive shaft 70 Large wheels -   30 Primary reducer 10:1 71, 71′ Hinges -   32 Top face of 30 72 Crossbar -   33 Top face of 26 73 Internal longitudinal bar -   34 Angle 74, 74′ Longitudinal bars -   36 Jaw 75 Fixed point of the actuator -   38 Extension of drive shaft 28 76 Fold -   40 Counterweight 77 Extension -   41 Handle for driving 78 Rod end -   42 Linear actuator 80 Typical exterior diameter -   43 Piston of the actuator 82 Typical interior diameter -   44 Coupling plate 84 Cut part of coupling plate 44 -   46 Motor 86, 86′, 86″ Bolt of reducer 60:1 -   47 Converter DC-AC 88 Bolt of the reducer 10:1 -   48 Wheel 90 Distance of bolts of the 60:1 -   60, 60′ Legs of the stand 22 92 Distance of bolts of the 10:1 -   61 V-shaped support 94 Axial center of the reducers -   62 Knee -   63, 63′ Oblique reinforcementS -   64 Top part 

1. An auto-lubricating device for polishing a wheel, comprising a rotative assembly (20) sitting over a stand (22) comprising angular means of positionning, a pendulum (23) for maintaining said device in balance upon a floor, and a linear actuator (42) positionned between said stand and said pendulum and causing said angular positionning; said rotative assembly (20) comprising a motor (46), a primary reducer (30), a coupling plate (44), a gear reducer (26) and a drive-shaft (28) powering a wheel holding jaw (36); said motor (46) being connected to said primary reducer (30) to reduce the rotation speed thereof, said primary reducer being connected with said gear reducer (26) through said coupling plate (44), said gear reducer turning said drive-shaft and said jaw (36) wherein a wheel is positioned to be polished; said coupling plate (44) being installed between said primary and gear reducers and being positionned next to said primary reducer at an angle (34) to said gear reducer, said primary reducer thereby maintaining a level of oil allowing the lubrication of its internal parts.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said angle (34) is of −15°±3°
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein said stand (22) comprises two horizontal legs (60, 60′) with an elbow (62) and a top part (64) supporting a support plate (24) for said rotative assembly (20), on said legs a V-shaped support (61) comprising at its ends openings (67) to insert means of displacement of said assembly, said top part including an arch (65) with a tip (66) to attach thereto said means of positioning.
 4. The device of claim 3 wherein said stand (22) comprises means of pendulum balancing said assembly during a displacement of said stand, said pendulum (23) having an extension and being activated by a linear actuator (42) positionned in said tip.
 5. The device of claim 1 wherein said motor has a rotational speed of 1800 rpm, said primary reducer is of a ratio of 10:1 and said gear reducer is of a ratio of 60:1.
 6. The device of claim 3 wherein said means of transport comprise small wheels (69, 69′) in extension.
 7. The device of claim 4 wherein rod ends (78) are installed on crossbar (72) of said pendulum (23) to allow the pivoting of said stand (22) on said pendulum (23).
 8. The device of claim 1 wherein said jaws (36) are from a chuck for metal lathe.
 9. The device of claim 7 wherein said crossbar (72) coincides with a counterweight (40).
 10. The device of claim 8 wherein said jaws are adapted for catching european alloy wheels. 